4.6. The coniectures of writers touching the situation of Camelodunum supposed to be Colchester, of the Silures a people spoken of in the former chapter, a foughten field betwene Caratacus the British prince, and Ostorius the Romaine, in the confines of Shorpshire; the Bri|tains go miserablie to wracke, Caratacus is deli|uered to the Romans, his wife and daughter are taken prisoners, his brethren yeeld themselues to their enimies. The sixt Chapter.

The coniectures of writers touching the situation of Camelodunum supposed to be Colchester, of the Silures a people spoken of in the former chapter, a foughten field betwene Caratacus the British prince, and Ostorius the Romaine, in the confines of Shorpshire; the Bri|tains go miserablie to wracke, Caratacus is deli|uered to the Romans, his wife and daughter are taken prisoners, his brethren yeeld themselues to their enimies. The sixt Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _BUt now there resteth a great doubt among writers, where this citie or towne called Ca|melodunum did stand, of some (and not without good ground of probable conie|ctures gathered vpon the ad|uised consideration of the cir|cumstances of that which in old authors is found written of this place) it is thought to be Colchester.Camelodu|num, Col|chester. But verelie by this place of Tacitus it maie rather seeme to be some other towne, situat more westward than Colchester, sith a colonie of Romane souldi|ers were planted there to be at hand, for the repres|sing of the vnquiet Silures,Silures where they inhabited. which by consent of most writers inhabited in Southwales, or néere the Welsh marshes.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 There was a castell of great fame in times past that hight Camaletum, or in British Caermalet, which stood in the marshes of Summersetshire: but sith there is none that hath so written before this time, I will not saie that happilie some error hath growne by mistaking the name of Camelodunum for this Camaletum, by such as haue copied out the booke of Cornelius Tacitus; and yet so it might be doon by such as found it short or vnperfectlie written, namelie, by such strangers or others, to whom onelie the name of Camelodunum was onelie knowne, and Camaletum peraduenture neuer séene nor heard of. As for example, and Englishman that hath heard of Waterford in Ireland, and not of Wex|ford, might in taking foorth a copie of some writing easilie commit a fault in noting the one for the other. We find in Ptolomie Camedolon to be a citie belonging to the Trinobants, and he maketh mention also of Camelodunum, but Humfrey Lhoyd thinketh that he meaneth all one citie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Notwithstanding Polydor Virgil is of a contra|rie opinion, supposing the one to be Colchester in déed, and the other that is Camelodunum to be Doncaster or Pontfret. Leland esteeming it to be certeinelie Colchester taketh the Iceni men also to be the Northfolke men. But howsoeuer we shall take this place of Tacitus, it is euident inough that Camelodunum stood not farre from the Thames. And therefore to séeke it with Hector Boetius in Scotland, or with Polydor Virgil so far as Don|caster or Pontfret, it maie be thought a plaine error.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to leaue each man to his owne iudgement in a matter so doubtfull, we will procéed with the histo|rie as touching the warres betwixt the Romans and the Silurians, against whome (trusting not onelie vpon their owne manhood, but also vpon the high prowesse & valiancie of Caratacus) Ostorius set forward.Cornelius Tacitus lib. Anna. 12. Caratacus excelled in fame aboue all o|ther the princes of Britaine, aduanced thereto by manie doubtfull aduentures and manie prosperous exploits, which in his time he had atchiued: but as he was in policie and aduantage of place better proui|ded than the Romans: so in power of souldiers he was ouermatched. And therefore he remoued the battell into the parts of that countrie where the Or|douices inhabited,Hu. Lhoyd. which are thought to haue dwel|led in the borders of Shropshire, Cheshire, and Lan|cashire, which people together with other that misli|ked of the Romane gouernment, he ioined in one, and chose a plot of ground for his aduantage, deter|mining there to trie the vttermost hazard of battell.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The place which he thus chose was such, as the en|tries, the backwaies, and the whole situation there|of made for the Britains aduantage, and cleane contrarie to the Romans, as inclosed among high hils. And if there were anie easie passage to enter it vpon anie side, the same was shut vp with migh|tie huge stones in manner of a rampire, and afore it there ran a riuer without anie certeine foord to passe ouer it. This place is supposed to lie in the con|fines of Shropshire aloft vpon the top of an high hill there, enuironed with a triple rampire and ditch of great depth, hauing thrée entries into it, not direct|lie one against an other, but aslope. It is also (they saie) compassed about with two riuers, to wit, on the left hand with the riuer called Clun, & on the right hand with an other called Teuid. On thrée sides thereof the clime is verie steepe and head|long, and no waie easie to come or reach vnto it, but onelie one.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Caratac hauing thus fortified himselfe within this place, and brought his armie into it: to encou|rage his people, he exhorted them to shew their man|hood, affirming that to be the day, and that armie to be the same wherein should appeare the beginning either of libertie then to be recouered, or else of per|petuall bondage for euer to be susteined. He reher|sed also speciallie by name those their elders, which had resisted Iulius Cesar, by whose high valiancie they liued free from the bloudie thraldome and tri|butes of the Romans, and enioied their wiues and children safe and vndefiled. Thus discoursing of ma|nie things with them, in such hope of assured victorie, that they began to raise their cries, ech one for him selfe, declaring that he was bound by the dutie he owght to the gods of his countrie, not to shrinke for feare of anie wounds or hurts that might chance vnto them by the enimies weapon.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This chéerefulnesse of the Britains greatlie astonished the Romane lieutenant. The hideous course also of the riuer before his face, the fortifica|tions and craggie higth of the hils, all set full of eni|mies readie to beat him backe, put him in great feare: for nothing he saw afore him, but that which séemed dreadfull to those that should assaile. But the souldiers yet séemed to be verie desirous of battell, requesting him to bring them to it, protesting that nothing was able to resist the force of noble prowes. Herewith the capteins and tribunes discoursing the like, pricked forward the earnest willes which their EEBO page image 39 souliders had to fight.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Ostorius perceiuing such courage and readie wils in the men of warre, as well souldiers as capteins, began to bestirre himselfe, and left nothing vndone that might serue to set forward their earnest desire to battell. And hauing aduisedlie considered which waies were hard and vnpossible to be entered vpon, and which were most easie for his people to find pas|sage by, he led them foorth, being most earnestlie bent to cope with the enimie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Now hauing passed the water without any great difficultie,Cornelius Tacitus Annal. lib. 12. but comming to the rampire, he lost ma|nie of his people, so long as the fight was continued with shot and casting of darts: but after that the Romans couering themselues with their targets, came once close togither, and approched vnder the rampire, they remooued away the stones which the Britains had roughlie couched togither, and so came to ioine with them at handblowes. The Britains being vnarmed, and not able to abide the force of the armed men, withdrew to the top of the hilles, but as well their enimies that were light armed, as the other with heauie armour, followed and brake in a|mong them, so as the Britains could not turne them anie way to escape, for the light armed men with shot a farre off, and the heauie armed with weapons at hand, sought to make slaughter and wracke of them on ech side, so that this was a verie dolefull day to the Britains.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The wife and daughter of Caratake were taken prisoners, and his brethren also yéeled themselues. He himselfe escaped, and committing his person vn|to the assurance & trust of Cartemandua queene of the Brigants, was by hir deliuered into the hands of the Romans. All this happened about nine yeres after the warres in Britaine first began.